36. nihatya dhartarasfran nah
ka pritih syaj janardana
papam eva 'srayed asman
hatvai 'tan atatayinah
(36) What pleasure can be ours, 0 Krsna, after we have slain the sons of Dhrtarastra? Only sin will accrue to us if we kill these malignants.How shall we benefit by this bloody sacrifice? What is that goal we expect to reach over the dead bodies of all that we hold dear? Arjuna is being guided by social conventions and customary morality and not by his individual perception of the truth. He has to slay the symbols of this external morality and develop inward strength. His former teachers who gave him guidance in life have to be slain before he can develop the wisdom of the soul. Arjuna is still talking in terms of enlightened selfishness.Even though the enemies are the aggressors, we should not kill them, na pape pratipafiah sat. Do not commit a sin in retaliation for another sin. "Conquer the anger of others by non-anger; conquer evil doers by saintliness; conquer the miser by gifts; conquer falsehood by truth. "[1]
37. tasman na" 'rha vayam hantum
dhartarastran svabandhavdn
svajanam hi katham hatva
sukhinah syama madhava
(37) So it isnot right that we slay our kinsmen, the sons of Dhrtarastra. Indeed, how can we be happy, 0 Madhava (Krsna), if we kill our own people?
38. yady apy ete na pasyanti
lobhopahatacetasah
kulaksayakrtam dosam
mitradrohe ca patakam
(38) Even if these whose minds are overpowered by greed, see no wrong in the destruction of the family and no crime in treachery to friends;
39. katham na jneyam asmabhih
papad asman nivartitum
kulaksayakrtam dosam
prapagyadbhir janardana
(39) Why should we not have the wisdom to turn away from this sin, 0 Janardana (Krsna), we who see the wrong in the destruction of the family?
They are stricken blind by greed and have no understanding but we are able to see the wrong. Even if we assume that they are guilty of selfish passion and greed, it is a wrong to slay them and it is a greater wrong because they who are blinded by passion are unconscious of the guilt they are committing, but our eyes are open and we see that it is a sin to slay.
